Golden Retriever Newsletter!

THE GOLDEN GAZETTE

The Newsletter of

Golden Retriever Rescue
Southern Nevada

HOLIDAY ISSUE

2012

In This Issue

Fashionable Retrievers

Give a Gift, Help a Golden

PACK LIFE- Small & Precious Gifts

Ho Ho Ho and Hello Golden Retriever People,

Santa Paws here reminding you that it's the time of year when we can help out all our rescued Retrievers the most. Can you volunteer just 3 hours this month? Check all the FASHIONABLE places you and your Golden can help with the gift wrapping fundraiser. Shopping can turn into a charitable experience; check out our GIVE A GIFT article. Speaking of presents, please read this issue's PACK LIFE story about a Golden who gives her family a remarkable gift. AND don't forget you can get your furry child's picture with me, SANTA, this Saturday and Sunday at PETSMART, CHARLESTON AND HUALAPAI, from 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM. $5 from each purchase will go right to our Rescue!!!

Sending Golden Wishes Your Way,

Santa Paws and My Friends at The Golden Gazette

Golden Retrievers Set The Holiday Fashion!!!

Goldens Annie and Samantha feel at home with Kyle Whitmore at Pottery Barn

It's the holiday season and for members of GRRSN that means it's time for the biggest fundraising effort of the year - Holiday Gift Wrapping. This year the Rescue is fortunate to be back at two favorite locations, Pottery Barn at Rampart Commons and Barnes & Noble Booksellers on W. Charleston. "We are also excited to add The Gap, at Rampart Commons, as one of our locations," says GRRSN president, Deb Pietro.

The fabulous crew at The Gap

Black Friday, Nov. 23, was the first day of wrapping at The Gap. "It was so awesome," raves Tina Glidewell, co-captain for wrapping at The Gap. The employees are fabulous, many of them are even volunteering for us. Everyone loved the dogs, especially the kids who were shopping with their parents!"

The official "Wrapping Marathon" begins on Friday, Dec. 14, and runs until Christmas Eve. "With 216 individual time slots to fill we're all going to have to pull together," says Robin Reardon, this year's volunteer coordinator. "We are asking members, both Goldens and humans, to volunteer for three hour shifts. Our dogs are helping out at both The Gap and Pottery Barn."

Everyone's dog, Samantha

The December fund raisers are especially important to the financial health of our organization. This year alone we've taken in 145 Retrievers, many needing costly medical attention. The money GRRSN earns over this period also helps pay the medical bills for the Recue's permanent fosters. These are dogs with special needs that make adoption problematic. Samantha is one such dog. She came into the Rescue this summer. "Samantha is 14. Her owners didn't have time to look after her," says intake coordinator, Jennifer Hetterscheidt. "She can't use a dog door and needs medication during the day, so she's a permanent foster in a loving home where there is someone with her almost all of the time. In a sense, Samantha belongs to all of us in GRRSN - she is everyone's dog."

Annie loves this Golden Retriever ornament at Pottery Barn

Kyle Whitmore, operations manager at Pottery Barn, is delighted to have Samantha and all the other Golden Retrievers back at her store. "The opportunity to support Golden Retriever Rescue Southern Nevada, and to give our guests the introduction to what the organization does, is a gift in itself." Kyle gives Samantha a hug, "The added assistance in gift-wrapping for the holidays is extremely helpful!"

Where The Wrap Is At!!!

The Gap at

Rampart Commons

12/15 - 12/24

Pottery Barn at

Rampart Commons

12/14 - 12/23

Barnes & Noble

W. Charleston

12/16 & 12/22 - 12/24

To help, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Robin Reardon at grrsnvolunteers@aol.com .

GIVE A GIFT AND HELP A GOLDEN

Holiday gift giving and helping the Rescue can go hand in hand. Need the perfect hostess gift? How about a nice bottle of wine? Last year the Rescue raised $885.00 through our partnership with Benefit Wines. Any oenophile and/or dog lover will be delighted with this unique vintage. Click on

Grape Gift for more information.

The 2014 GRRSN calander is our newest item. At $10.00 it won't brake the bank, plus it's a 2014 calendar so you know they won't already have one! Click on Calendar to have a look.

Unsure of what to buy for the person who has everything? Please consider making a donation to GRRSN in the name of each person on your list. A beautiful card noting your donation will be sent to your loved one. Your donation can and will make a difference in the life of a deserving Golden Retriever while supporting our rescue efforts. Not only is this a thoughtful gift, it's fast, easy and you can use your credit card. Click THANK YOU FOR HELPING for donation information.

You can also help out GRRSN when you shop on Amazon, as well as other web retailers who donate to GRRSN, when you make a purchase. Click on SHOP to see all our web partners.

A SEASON OF SMALL AND PRECIOUS GIFTS

by Lorilynn Bowles

This time last year our red retriever, Millie, gave us a wonderful gift by freeing us from a terrible guilt. After many years, Millie finally made peace with her seasonal nemesis - The Christmas Tree.

"Happy Holidays" does not register with Millie; she loathes any kind of change. Winter festivities at our house start when we bring in the tree. Our tradition does not include a forest romp to cut down a spruce or even going to the corner lot and strapping a fragrant conifer to the car. No, indeed; true desert inhabitants that we are, our ritual involves marching out to the garage and bringing in our carefully stored artificial tree. No caroling, no cocoa, but, funnily enough, we do enjoy it. All our dogs happily run over for a sniff, excited by something different in the house. All, that is, except Millie.

We set the tree up in our front room while Millie watches us from the safety of the upstairs landing. During the holidays she would begrudgingly come into the room to be with us, but she gave the tree a wide berth. She clearly did not like it and this was distressing for us. To understand our angst you need to know that Millie started life in terrible circumstances. Her original home is an unhappy legend amongst the old-timers of the Rescue. She has come a long way since we adopted her, but will probably always be fearful. Our family and friends really enjoy the Christmas tree, so not having it up wasn't really an option. Consequently, for years our Christmas was tinged by retriever guilt.

Like a lot of people, we had been through some tough times recently. Our only child moved away for a job opportunity, close friends with young children divorced, a younger sibling was diagnosed with a debilitating illness, and then there's the economy -- pretty grim stuff. Then, just a few days before Christmas in 2010, we unexpectedly lost John's Mum, the matriarch of our family. Once something like that happens it becomes part of your holiday memories. Like all things, it gets better with time, but there it is. This was definitely on our minds as we put the tree up last year. I like to think Millie sensed this and knew we needed a reprieve.

Forward to December of last year...We lit the fire, put on the Christmas music and started decorating the tree. To our surprise and delight Millie came in and lay down in front of the fireplace. Not particularly close to the tree, mind you but, - Joy to the World - at least in the same room. Our other retrievers greeted her with glee. They love to help with the decorating, and it's always a worry that we'll trip over one of them while attempting to hang the $50 Christopher Radko ornament given to us by a relation who will, believe me, check to make sure it's in pride of place. That evening Millie joined us all again as we had a glass of wine and admired the tree. She still kept a wary eye on the green intruder, but she was wagging her tail and enjoying the companionship of her pack. Things were definitely looking up.

It was while I was endeavoring to bake at least one kind of Christmas cookie that Millie demonstrated that she and tree had reached a permanent treaty of peace. My husband came quietly into the kitchen, his finger to his lips directing me to be silent. John motioned for me to follow him into the living room and -"what to my wondering eyes should appear?" Well, they beheld our own small holiday miracle, for there was Millie curled up and sleeping under the tree. She looked quite a picture on the plaid tree skirt - very Norman Rockwell - except for her snoring, but hey, you can't have everything. This continued to be her favorite spot all through the season.

In the summer of this year she gave us another wonderful present. For the first time in the 5 years she's been our dog Millie rolled over in the grass for a tummy rub. Our happiness in this demonstration of trust is immeasurable, as is our pleasure to find her snuggling under the tree again this December. These are both very small, yet precious gifts which are, perhaps, the best kind of all.

Your thoughtful contribution to GRRSN helps dogs, like Millie, in our Rescue, and makes stories like this one possible.

Thank You For Your Continuing Support!